


In Good Hands

by Wot_In_Quiznack



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-25
Updated: 2017-09-22
Packaged: 2018-12-19 21:42:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 10,271
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11906766
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wot_In_Quiznack/pseuds/Wot_In_Quiznack
Summary: The Garrison Emergency Center is one of the highest rated hospitals in the world, where only the best of the best can get in. Their doctors and surgeons are well and thoroughly trained, so it's no surprise that when you're a beginner, the stakes can get high. The surgeries are fast paced, the breaks are cut short, and the drama is always prevalent in every situation.Fresh out of Medical School and new on the job, Keith Kogane is dead set on succeeding in his first year as a Surgeon. His goal is to follow in his brother's footsteps and become one of the best surgeons the Garrison has ever prided themselves on. And he pays no attention to anyone or anything that can become a distraction to that goal in the long run.But the intern in blue who works in pediatrics and general surgeries poses a threat to that...and something else.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This story was inspired by Cheritsundere's Voltron Hospital AU concept art on Tumblr. Inspiration was also drawn by some of the hospital dramas on television, like Grey's Anatomy and Scrubs.  
> All characters, both patients and doctors, belong to Netflix and Dreamworks. None of these characters are my own, nor do I try to claim them as my own. (Though it would be very cool if I could.)  
> Also, I tried to do as much research as I possibly could to get a good feel for what life is actually like within the walls of a hospital. This included figuring out terms of slang and their meanings, types of surgeries, types of medical professions, wards, tools, etc. I'm going off of personal experience with family members working in the medical field, as well as various medical sites and informational sources, all of which have provided many pieces of information to help me to write this fanfic. But I am open to constructive criticism over the subjects displayed in this book and how they all work. Because I understand that I can get confused over terminology and such sometimes, so I'm all for a good little medical lesson. :)  
> However, even with all this work done to lay the foundation, I still feel as though, since I am not a doctor myself, I cannot promise you that this is a carbon copy of life in the Emergency Room. But nonetheless, I hope you enjoy!!  
> Thank you for taking the time to read my fanfic!

The Garrison Emergency Center is one of the most prestigious hospitals any medical student could ever hope of getting into. Every year, hundreds of applications from eager medical students and scholars are sent in with the hopes of being accepted into their ranks. And every year, hundreds of applications are turned down when expectations are not met.

So it wasn't a surprise that when Keith Kogane received his invitation to train under their supervision, a huge weight was lifted off of his shoulders. He'd trained immensely just to get a glimpse at what life was like behind those high cemented walls. And for a long time, his brother was the only source of information and inspiration he had to strive for his goal of being the best of the best.

He'd waited for this day for years. 4 years in college and 4 years in medical school had been enough to make his head spin. Countless long nights of coffee highs and study binges had left him slightly disoriented.

Heck, while he waited to hear a response from The Garrison, he'd convinced himself not to get his hopes up. Shiro had told him multiple stories about how hard he had to train to get in, and how hard he had to work to get the recognition he did. Even after getting the invitation, Shiro would tease Keith about how the only reason he ever had a chance was because they knew who his brother was. Keith would only respond with a slight laugh and a light punch on the shoulder.

But now, the jokes were over. Keith's first day of internship had finally arrived, and it was one of the busiest days the hospital had had for a while.

As Keith walked down the hallways, he took in the quickly paced and bustling atmosphere. Doctors in long, white coats were scattered about the area. Some stood together, discussing appointments and scheduled surgeries and procedures. Others stood apart, accepting phone calls and paperwork. There was no place in sight where there seemed to be a lack of some sort of movement, even if it was just a doctor quietly focusing on an ICU patient's scans, apart from the others.

Keith neared the reception desk, figuring that it was the best place to start for the day. A young woman with short hair and glasses sat back in green scrubs, writing quickly into a binder of scheduled meetings and appointments. One hand gripped the phone tightly and another scribbled hastily into the lined paper.

"Dr. Smythe isn't in for today, but his schedule is open for tomorrow from 10 until 11. Would you like for me to place you into that time frame?"

Keith leaned against the desk. The nurse at the desk didn't notice him at first, for she had been too busy taking this future patient's call. She lightly blew a strand of hair out of her face, a look of exasperation as the caller obviously could not work with that time and needed something different.

"Well, I'm afraid the only other opening for you other than this time is in the next two days. And that isn't very advisable due to your previous conditions." She breathed, trying with slight effort not to raise her voice, "Unless you'd like a different doctor for the evening, I'd suggest clearing your schedule for this time."

She paused as the caller continued to argue with her. She rolled her eyes and finally put him down for an appointment a few days into the future. She leaned back after forcing herself to make an agreement with the patient and proceeded to hang up the phone. It didn't take long to notice the new face standing in front of her, however. A slight grin came to her face as she looked Keith up and down.

"So. You're the new bait we've got coming in today, huh?" She crossed her arms, raising her chin critically, "I've never seen you around these parts."

Keith let a brief chuckle escape his lips. The greeting had helped him let up after a morning full of nervous overthinking and tense dread. He nodded once, straightening himself up.

"Yeah, I'm Keith Kogane. The new intern." He said, sticking his hands into his pockets idly, "Today's my first day."

"Ah, your Shirogane's brother." The nurse nodded in return after a quick moment of thought, "Dr. Takashi's talked about you before. He's very fond of you. And it's a good and bad thing. That means this hospital has very high expectations for you. You think you're ready?"

"Pidge, stop trying to scare the poor guy." A second individual stepped forward, picking up a manila folder held closed by a paperclip, "It's not like you're better off than him. You were once an intern too."

The young man shared extremely similar characteristics to the nurse, leading Keith to assume that the two of them were related in one way or another. He had skin of the same color and his hair bore striking resemblance to the nurse beside him. He wore soft orange scrubs and a long, white coat, which offered an easily identifiable difference between the two of them. The nurse wore only green scrubs, and her eyeglasses were set on her head.

"You're the new guy?" The young man let a slight smile escape his lips, "Keith Kogane, right?"

Keith nodded, trying to let the smallest smile grow onto his face. He didn't want to end up making the wrong impression on his first day. If he wanted to be successful, people had to like him. And that started with being nice enough to be their friend. Or even acquaintance. We'll start small.

"That's right." Keith nodded as he did to Pidge, "Today's my first day of internship."

"Well, it's very nice to meet you, Keith." The young man set the folder down, reaching forward to give him a firm handshake, "My name is Matt Holt. I'm a cardiologist. This is my sister, Katie. We call her Pidge, though. She's training to become a Neurologist."

"You're a resident, right? How far into residency are you?" Keith looked from Matt to Pidge, stepping to the side when a young woman stepped up to the desk asking for a specific specialist.

"Second. I'm in the process of going through my 7 year Neurosurgical Residency." Pidge breathed, "It never stops. Be glad you've had a summer after your last year of medical school. If you wanna make it here, you'll have to hit the ground running."

"Pidge, stop trying to scare the poor guy." Matt playfully hit her upside the head, "I'm sure when you first walked through those doors you were almost as nervous as he was."

Pidge had opened her mouth to correct him once more, but the three of them were interrupted suddenly by a fourth voice and individual coming to join in their conversation.

"Matt! Pidge!"

The three of them turned to see where the voice had come from. A plump young man in yellow scrubs with a stethoscope around the back of his neck came running up to meet them. He held a metal tray of sponges and tools, all of which needed to be sterilized. He placed the silver tray down onto the desk, trying to catch his breath.

"Hunk?" Matt looked at him, having picked up his folder again, holding it close in case his papers had been singed, "What's up?"

"Have you seen Coran?" He asked, looking right over Keith and on to Pidge and Matt, "We just finished a procedure on a ripped ligament in OR 72-44 and these tools need sterilizing."

"Have you tried looking in the Radiology department?" Pidge had turned in her swivel chair to a closed binder beside her, the one she'd flipped through earlier on in the day, "His MRI with Mr. Prorok should be about done. He should be there."

Hunk nodded and let out a slight sigh. He'd been on the move all morning, just as most other employees here had been. He leaned on the desk, still trying to calm his breathing. He finally turned to Keith after huffing one more time.

"New patient?" He asked Matt and Pidge, referring to Keith.

"Nope." Matt shook his head, looking from Hunk to Keith, "Hunk, this is Keith Kogane. Shiro's little brother. He'd going to be joining our general residency program."

"Ah, another intern?" Hunk nodded, his eyes lighting up, "I'm Tsuyoshi Garrett, but you can call me Hunk. I'm an intern, hoping to study here to be a Surgical Technician."

He slipped off the pair of light blue gloves he'd been wearing and held out a hand to Keith. Keith shook it politely, letting a slight grin come to his face.

"Keith Kogane." He stated, not breaking eye contact, "I'm training to become a general emergency surgeon."

"Like your brother, huh?" Matt piped up as Hunk let go of his hand, giving Keith one last welcoming grin before ceasing conversation, "They say Shiro's gotta be the best this hospital's got to offer."

"I'll say." Pidge looked up from the binder again, "I went through his files the other day for a meeting he had scheduled and I can't believe he trained in cardiovascular, thoracic, _and_ general care! And on top of that, he's currently studying _Neurology_?"

Keith felt a pang within, more or less like a slight sense of longing. He shoved it away like it was nothing, but everyone marveled over his brother's works and potential seemingly wherever he went. He tried to ignore the sense, but the underlying yearning had always been there from the very beginning. Still, Keith plastered a slight grin on his face.

"Yeah, my brother always has his nose in some book or other." He playfully added on, "Last night, I caught him rereading an old textbook he'd brought back from his medical school. And get this? It was the third time this year he's read the thing."

"Wow." Pidge's jaw unhinged and her eyes widened, "He's attractive...and extremely studious."

"Alright, well I'd hate to be that guy, but I gotta run." Hunk slipped his gloves over his hands again, picking up the dirty tray from the desk, "We can't let these tools sit out for too long, lest they're accidentally reused for another surgery by some unsuspecting nurse. It was very nice to meet you, Keith! I'll see you in the operating room at one point or another, I'm more than positive!"

Keith watched him go after having given him a slight wave. Hunk rushed down the still bustling hallways, careful not to let any of the tools fall to the floor. Matt had begun to turn back to an opposite corridor on the other side of the reception desk when he was stopped by yet another intrusion.

A young man had walked up to the desk, writing hastily onto a wooden clipboard in his arms. He was thickly built with broad shoulders and a chiseled jawline, and he strode to the reception desk quickly and rather easily.

"Pidge. I need to schedule an appointment for Iverson in Ward 1. His headache has seemingly gone away, but his color is still pretty drained, and I don't want to take any chances." The young man met Keith's side, Pidge logging quickly onto the computer as she listened carefully to what he had to say, "I want to order 300 mgs of Clopidogrel to keep the blood flow up, and I need this prescription as soon as possible. Preferably by tomorrow morning."

"What, has he been smoking again?" Pidge briefly glanced over at him, typing effortlessly without having to scan the keyboard.

"He claims he hasn't been, but our nurses have been finding used cigarette butts by his window which he insists on keeping open..." The young man sighed, obviously frustrated by the patient he'd been talking about, "..We've tried to talk to him about it, but he won't budge in his story. And to make it worse, this is what got him into the hospital in the first place."

"It's all in the addiction..." Pidge shrugged, having already resigned from the situation. She began to quickly type onto the keyboard, leaning into the screen and shifting the glasses she wore on the bridge of her nose, "I keep saying it..."

The man sighed, leaning onto the desk again over the clipboard he'd put down. A grin came onto his lips and he looked up at Keith, a slight relieved gaze in his eyes. Keith couldn't help but grin return to that smile he'd grown accustomed to since he had been extremely young. His big brother's smile.

"Keith. Hey, man." He straightened up, pulling Keith into a brief hug, "You made it."

"Well of course, Shiro." Keith playfully punched him on the shoulder, and then proceeding to complete the embrace, "I wouldn't have missed this opportunity for the world. I mean, getting the chance to work here? At the Garrison? The highest rated hospital in the world? Where only the best get in? Who in their right mind would pass this offer up?"

Shiro let out a slight laugh, running his fingers through his hair. Keith saw how tense Shiro seemed, even if he didn't let it on that he had been working since very early that morning. Keith knew that Shiro had left the house for the first time at about 5 that morning, and had never made it back home before Keith had come up to the hospital, and by that moment, hospital life had picked it. It didn't allow for Shiro to have much of a break.

"You're right, you're right." Shiro stepped forward and playfully ruffled Keith's hair, "I'm just glad my little brother is going to be walking in my footsteps. It'll be awesome to work together, you know? We'll be awesome as a surgical duo."

Keith pushed Shiro's hand out of his locks, shaking his head and trying to fix the ruffled hair his brother had messed with. He gave Shiro a playful pouting look and teasingly pushed him back. Shiro stumbled and laughed.

"Hey, is that how you treat your teacher for the day?" Shiro placed his hands on his hips.

"You?" Keith scoffed, rolling his eyes, "My teacher? Are you sure that's a good idea?"

"What, don't you?" Shiro's smile brightened at Keith's comeback.

"We're brothers. I thought it was a given that we're not supposed to get along." Keith smirked, crossing his arms.

Shiro laughed, picking up his clipboard again after checking with Pidge that order had gone through. After receiving confirmation, he began to walk with Keith away from the desk. The two of them walked down a corridor, passing ill patients on either side. Some doors were open while others were closed tightly. Some held visitors while others were eerily empty save for the patients in bed and the machines beside them.

"Alright, Keith. Today's your first day." Shiro looked at Keith, speaking lower than usual due to all the healing patients around them, "And I know that a lot of this can be overwhelming at first. It's okay, because it took me a while to get a hold of the reigns too. Ask anyone. Their first times on the job, it was horrendous. But I have some little bits of advice for you. They're simple and easy to remember when starting your internship here, alright?"

They'd stopped at a couple of elevator doors. Shiro pushed a button and held up a single finger.

"Number 1, if you ever think of something to do, do it immediately or write it down for later. In training, you've gotta be continuously up and running, so I know it can get pretty demanding but I know you've got this." He stated, going down an obviously rehearsed list of rules to follow during residency, "Number 2, don't be afraid of the nurses. They're your friends. Number 3, use vague language when stating when you're going to leave the hospital. Sometimes, you don't leave at all."

Keith laughed to himself once he heard the third rule. He could remember how Shiro would sometimes tell him he'd bring dinner home from the lounge up at the hospital, but then he'd end up not getting home until 10 at night, when Keith had been fast asleep. Over time, he'd taken notice to how Shiro never really gave precise details about when he was to leave.

Keith supposed that it made sense. Shiro was always busy up here.

"Number 4," Shiro continued, the door beside them opening, "A good sense of humor as well as a bright attitude can go an extremely long way here."

The two of them stepped into the elevator as Shiro held up his thumb, his final finger.

"And you'll hear this a lot in general surgery during and after your years of training." Shiro laughed to himself, obviously knowing the phrase inside and out, "Always, and _I mean always_ , Load the Boat."

Keith let out a light chuckle. He'd heard Shiro say it countless times while Keith had been studying in medical school and while Shiro had been finishing his final years of residency. The statement meant that you always needed to have superior medical staff with you in case you messed up during diagnosis, procedures, and other such things. Basically, it was always important that, while you were a resident or an intern, you had to have some sort of guidance.

"I got it, Shiro." The doors opened again and they entered the second floor, where another reception desk waited for them, "How could I ever forget?"

Shiro turned from Keith and toward the desk, where another young lady in light pink scrubs and a white coat sat typing away on her computer. She had long white hair that flared out at her shoulders and a gleam in her eyes that remained even as she engrossed herself in her work. She seemed extremely focused on what she had been doing, almost not noticing when the two of them neared the desk.

"Miss Allura, it's nice to see you back after your break!" Shiro leaned onto the desk, grinning at her, "This place felt empty without your presence."

"Not now, Shiro." She playfully held a finger up in front of his face, "I have to file in a prescription for Mr. Throk in the West Cardiac Ward. His heart had started beating unevenly. Again."

"But I thought you'd given him a new medication last week?" Shiro raised an eyebrow and walked around to the other side of the desk, leaning over Allura's shoulder to take a look what she had been doing.

"I did." She nodded, not looking back at him, "But his readings said that it didn't do much, and the medication I sent in even seemed to have made it worse, according to his nurses."

Shiro tilted his head, his eyebrows furrowing. He wasn't confused, but he couldn't exactly make out why the prescription hadn't worked. He had helped Allura look at his internal scans, as well as his readings. Nothing seemed to be out of place, but his family did have a history of cardiac diseases and such. Maybe this was the first sign of yet another case.

"I'm setting up a meeting with Samuel Holt about how to handle this properly." Allura finally turned from the screen and locked eyes with Shiro, "I figured that since he's the best Cardiologist we've got, he's the best bet I have to do this right before something sprouts from this condition."

Shiro grinned and gripped her shoulder firmly.

"There's that smart girl I've missed all week." He shook her softly, "That sounds like a sound plan."

"Thanks." Allura giggled to herself. She turned from Shiro to Keith. Her eyes lit up, "Now, who's this young man?"

Keith and Shiro locked eyes again, and Shiro straightened up, motioning to Keith.

"Allura, this is Keith. My brother." He looked from Allura to Keith, "And Keith? This is Allura. One of the best Thoracic Surgeons we've got on campus."

"It's very nice to finally meet you." Allura smiled, reaching forward to shake Keith's hand, "Shiro always talks about you."

"So I've heard." Keith responded, shooting Shiro a playful look.

Allura laughed in response. She stood up, straightening out her coat. She picked up a clipboard and turned toward a wide corridor nearby.

"Well, if you'll excuse me, I have my own intern to check up on." She looked back one more time, "Lance is in the NICU at the moment. He's taking a look at pediatric files for me so I could get this prescription done."

"How's Lance doing?" Shiro asked before she'd left, "I know he's still interning, but how's he handling it?"

"Oh, he's handling it just fine!" Allura smiled back at Shiro, "He's one of the most helpful interns I've had in a while. And he works very well with children and families. We can't lose this one, let me tell you."

Shiro chuckled, watching Allura walk away. Keith looked at Shiro out of the corner of his eye, a slight smirk coming to the corners of his mouth. He laughed to himself and patted his back.

"So, she's who you're going after, huh?" Keith playfully teased him, shaking his head with amusement, "The pretty nurse in soft pink?"

"Hush it, Keith. She's one of the best nurses and general surgeons we've got here." Shiro tried to mask the light blush that had made his cheeks glow, "That, she's pretty, funny, and just...damn it, I think I'm in love."

Keith leaned into his brother's ear, making kissy noises.

"My brother, the lover boy~!" He cheered, getting shoved in return, "You know, I don't even think you've ever had a girlfriend before."

"I was waiting for the right one to come along." Shiro couldn't help but smile at himself. They'd begun to walk down the hall in the direction that Allura had gone.

They'd begun to walk down the hall in the direction that Allura had gone. Shiro looked back at Keith after a brief moment of silence. They had been walking through the NICU ward, where it was only understood to be as quiet as possible. Keith had begun to notice that it had been too idle on his brother's part. Perhaps his brother had wanted to start out slow on him on his first day, but Keith had been sorta hoping to get his hands dirty. His heart racing.

He wanted to save someone. He wanted to take part in a diagnosis or so. He wanted to get hands-on lessons.

"So, hey." Shiro said, seemingly reading Keith's mind at that very moment, "I know it seems a bit slow, but I had blocked my schedule until 10:30 this morning. I wanted to be able to show you around this place."

"But Shiro, you're on call." Keith looked at him.

"I did my rounds early and tended to what I had to last night." Shiro smiled slightly, "We'll be able to chill out for the first few hours of the day, and later on, I have a Pulmonary Lobectomy scheduled. You could definitely come along and see how the professionals really do it."

"Can't wait." Keith replied simply, still internally eager to get a little work done.

Shiro and Keith turned a corner and could hear wailing machines not far from ear shot. They exchanged glances before breaking into a run toward the sounds. Keith's heart was in his throat. He hadn't expected such an abrupt burst of action. They turned another corner and were joined by Matt, who had been nearby. He ran with them, just as bewildered as them.

"Matt! Do you know what's happening?" Shiro looked at him.

"No! Varkon had just come out of his Carotid Endarterectomy and he seemed just fine, according to his nurses." Matt said, probably having also made his rounds with his hospital patients.

At the sound of this, Shiro's face fell. He'd been through situations like this many times in the past.

"So it was a CEA, huh?" He started taking his stethoscope off as they entered the room where all the machines had started wailing.

The patient was sedated, seemingly only asleep through all the noise and complications. Matt skirted around the bed and began to scan his readings while Shiro began to examine the patient quickly. He pressed his stethoscope to his chest, getting extremely subtle chest sounds on either side.

"Oxygen levels are dropping!" Matt looked back, his eyes widening in bewilderment.

Shiro cursed under his breath and leaned onto the bed, turning to Keith. Matt went to the other side, lifting his wrist to check the patient's body color.

"Keith, hurry. I need an oxygen mask right now!" He said, the urgency obvious in his voice, "This guy's not breathing properly."

Keith turned quickly and dashed for an oxygen mask which he knew had to be stored in a closet nearby. He went for the door, skirting around a couple nurses who had just been entering the room to assist. He didn't look back, already grabbing the knob and opening the door. He could hear the bewildered nurses not far from where he stood, scanning the dark space. The adrenaline had dominated his actions, and he hadn't even noticed when he grabbed a plastic mask and darted back into the room.

Shiro had since gotten a rather large pump mask to help provide oxygen to his patient. Matt had gotten help from a nurse to bring out an oxygen tank. They'd set it beside the bed, looking up as Keith returned quickly with the mask. He rushed to Shiro's side and Shiro looked up, continuing to squeeze and release.

"Keith, I need you to hook that thing up to the tank. Matt will help you." He stated rather flatly, obviously trying to move as quickly as he could. He turned to one of the nurses, "Check his EEGs! The blood might not be getting to the brain!"

One nurse with buns on either side of her head turned to the machines, brushing past Keith. Matt had been crouched beside the tank, unscrewing a cap where the tube from the mask was to go. Keith quickly unraveled it and handed it over. Matt pushed the plastic end into the side and turned a knob, a low swooshing sound coming to their ears signalling that oxygen was indeed flowing into the mask. Matt gave a brief grin to Keith, nodding.

"EEGs are in the theta range, with 7 cycles a second!" She turned back to look at Shiro, her finger tracing over the screen of the monitors.

Shiro let out a slight sigh of relief. He turned to Matt and Keith, lifting the patient's head off of the pillow.

"Keith, I need you to slip that mask onto Varkon's head, okay?" He looked at him, "Matt, I need to you give him some IV Moderate Sedation to keep his activity healthy until we figure out what's happening. You said it was a Carotid Endarterectomy, right?"

Matt nodded, still measuring the pulse in the patient's wrist. Keith slid the elastic strap around his head and positioned the mask over his mouth and nose. He began to take full breaths, even while he continued to sleep. Matt began to insert the sedation into a tube attached to his IV, and the machines proceeded to cease their wailing.

"Nurse Shay." Shiro turned to the nurse who'd been examining his readings just then.

Shay turned around, giving Shiro all of her attention just as she had been trained to do. She was obviously an intern, for it had been made apparent by her seemingly hyperactive sense of respect for the higher ups. From personal experience, Keith knew that newcomers to something more often than not had an underlying goal to impress all the higher ups they could. He knew, because he had that same feeling. Seasoned professionals, however, didn't worry about impressions at all.

And she didn't seem very seasoned.

"You are his presiding nurse for the afternoon, correct?" Shiro began to walk towards the monitors, leaving Keith with Matt beside the bed.

"Yes sir." Shay nodded in return, stepping aside for him to take a look at the scanners.

"Tell me. After the surgery today, did his fever get any worse than it had been previously?"

Shay had gone silent. She had to think about her reply first. She'd been so busy focusing on another thing to truly focus on the task at hand. An understandable mistake when you're under as much pressure as she had been, but still one to make an effort to avoid. She began to nod her head, a look of shame sharpening in her eyes.

Matt let out a slight snicker, having known this mistake all too well. She had ignored a simple head ache without having checked his readings after having exited operation. Shiro let out a slight sigh, trying to be as gentle and stern as possible. He wanted to use this as a teaching moment. He looked at Shay.

"Shay, you cannot ignore head aches in the hospital. Especially not following a Carotid Endarterectomy." He removed his gloves, turning away from Shay and toward Matt, "Set him up for a scan as soon as possible. We've sedated the patient, but we don't know how much damage has been done."

Matt nodded, walking quickly out the door. Two nurses followed in suit, and Shay had seated herself in a chair on the other side of the room from the patient. She seemed a bit ashamed in her careless mistake. And to make it worse, she just had to get scolded by one of the greatest doctors this hospital had to offer. Shiro took in a deep breath, removing his stethoscope from his neck and placing it into his white coat pocket.

"You see that, Keith?" He felt a smile come to his face, laughing to himself, "Always load the boat."

Keith laughed and the two of them left. Shiro locked eyes with Shay and flashed him his signature grin as they exited the room. Shay looked away, trying to hide her flattered blush. Keith and Shiro walked down the hall, stopping at the NICU when Shiro saw another familiar face. A young woman walked forward with a clipboard in her folded arms. She seemed a little flustered, but flashed a smile Shiro's way.

"Allura!" Shiro greeted her as they crossed, "What are you doing here?"

"I had to check on Lance. He'd been given the task by Coran to monitor the readings of a few NICU patients." She looked up at him in response, "He's doing fine with his duty, but I still needed to check on him. You know...mentor worries."

Shiro laughed, "I get it, I get it. Is there anything you need help with? I'm still looking for a good little job to temporarily sustain Keith for his first day here."

Allura locked eyes with Keith for a brief moment. Keith smiled slightly and Allura looked back at Shiro.

"Well, a few files at the reception desk had been misplaced in their cabinets. We were hoping someone could refile the papers? It might help in keeping all the patient's readings sorted and easy to find." Allura replied shortly.

She glanced back at Keith almost as if she had been looking for some sort of clarification that Keith was okay with having to do this job. Before Keith could say much of anything, however, Shiro spoke up for him and agreed. Smiling, Allura turned and the three of them walked into the NICU.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It didn't take very long for Shiro and Allura to explain Keith's rather simple assignment. He had to go through each and every drawer in the filing cabinet, making sure that each file was in its correct place in alphabetical order. Not a very exciting assignment, but it was a job, and he had to get it done. You can't lose files in a place like this. Keith learned that the hard way through messy medical notes and a brief period of barely pacing grades.

Keith pulled out a drawer, scanning the names written on manila folders inside. He didn't notice the young man who stood not far from him, gently checking the pulse of a baby who lay within one of the many plastic boxes in the NICU. He looked upon the child with a gentle look, a slight smile coming onto his face.

"Well, at least one of you made it out alive..." He whispered, slipping his gloved hand into the incubator, lightly running his fingers over the baby's limp, miniscule hand, "...I can only imagine how happy your parents would be to see you healing..."

The young man looked up at the apnea monitor beside the baby's bed. It showed healthy levels of oxygen intake, and he let out a soft sigh with relief. He hated this place with a passion, but Allura had given him the job of looking after the children until she returned from her scheduled thoracic check up with a patient of hers. He took one last look at the child and turned, walking to the next incubator beside the child.

Keith looked up briefly, going from one drawer to the next. He and the man locked eyes for a moment before Keith turned to continue his assigned job. The young man walked over to him, offering to help. To that, Keith shook his head without even looking up at him.

“You’ve probably got enough on your hands to worry about, but thanks.” He said, sensing the man’s movement behind him.

“Hey, you’re the new intern. Right?” He asked, pulling out a rolling chair from the desk beside the two of them, “I’m an intern too.”

Keith finally looked back at the mention of this. The stranger flashed him a slight grin, soundlessly welcoming him.

“Hey, man. I don’t bite.” He said, laying back, "I'm Lance McClain. An intern training for pediatric surgical procedures. And you are?"

"Keith." Keith stood up, smoothing out the red scrubs Shiro had supplied him with the previous night in preparation for his first day, "Keith Kogane. Intern. Training for general surgical procedures."

"Kogane?" Lance's head popped up from his position in the chair, and he looked up at Keith, "You're Dr. Takashi's brother, right?"

Keith nodded, mentally wishing that Shiro wasn't the only thing any of the doctors working at the Garrison had ever talked about when it came to meeting Keith for the first time. Lance let out a sigh. His lips curled into a small smile at the thought of Dr. Takashi, the man Lance wanted to train hard enough to be like. 

"Man, that dude's my hero." Lance laughed, "It must be awesome just to be related to him. Is he really as good with a bit of gauze and wrap as they all say he is?"

Not wanting to ruin his image in front of his new peer, Keith could only nod. He let out a halfhearted laugh.

"Even better than what they say." He replied, finding involuntarily that the childlike excitement on Lance's face was all too contagious, "He's taught me everything he knows."

Lance stood up, finally letting his thrilled laughter fade. He locked eyes with Keith again, holding his hand out for a firm hand shake when he realized he had to get back to work before Allura caught him slacking off again. But he already knew he was going to like this new kid. And not just because his brother was his literal idol. Keith hesitated for a moment before finally falling through to reach forward and grasp Lance's hand in his.

"It's nice to meet you, Keith." Lance grinned, shaking Keith's hand politely, "I'll see you around the hospital?"

"Of course." Keith nodded, "It was nice meeting you too, Lance."

Lance grinned a final time before going back into the NICU. Keith looked back at the files that waited to be sorted and sighed. He wished he'd gotten a more interesting assignment from his brother and his _potential_ girlfriend. 

He knelt back down and got to work.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story was inspired by the Hospital AU created by Cheritsundere on Tumblr. Inspiration may also be traced back to hospital dramas seen on TV (i.e. Grey's Anatomy, Scrubs, etc.).  
> All patients and doctors belong to Netflix, Studio Mir, and Dreamworks. I claim nothing presented in this book other than the plot and the conflicts.  
> Just as I did for the first chapter, I tried to do as much research as I possibly could to make this fanfic as realistic as I possibly could. Lacking the full knowledge of a doctor, I understand that there could be a few mistakes scattered throughout the book due to terminology confusion and such, but I am still all for kind, constructive criticism.   
> I decided to stick a few "Easter Eggs" into this chapter as well, so keep your eyes peeled! Thank you again for checking my story out, and I hope you enjoy this second chapter!  
> Thank you again!

"Where do you think they went?" 

Lance sat back down in the rolling chair behind where Keith crouched in front of the drawers that held the files he had went through twice. He contemplated going through them a third time just to have something to do. He locked eyes with Lance.

"Did Dr. Allura have some sort of surgery or something planned today?" He asked, crossing his arms and kicking the bottom most drawer closed with the tap of his foot.

"Not that I know of. Not until this afternoon, anyway." Lance shook his head, "I was supposed to observe during an Open Lung Biopsy she has planned this afternoon. As far as I know, anyway. Did Shiro have any procedures scheduled?"

Keith shook his head, leaning against the counter. He could hear the quiet sounds of the machines that surrounded them in the NICU area. He could make out the quiet whoosh of each vent hooked up to the incubators holding the children. Lance turned his back to the boxes across the hall from them, letting out a slight sigh. It was apparent that he did not enjoy working in this ward. He looked up at Keith.

"So. How has your first day been so far?" He let a slight grin grow onto his face, "You got to see any interesting things happen yet?"

Keith let a slight chuckle escape his lips. He turned away, his eyes trailing down the hall where he saw two familiar figures walking their way. It was a young woman dressed in pink scrubs and a white coat, followed no far behind by a young man in dark scrubs and a white coat. He turned back to Lance, turning his backs to the distant figures.

"Other than a correction to a mistake made by a resident nurse? Nah." He shook his head, "Shiro has really given me much to do since I first walked through those doors this morning."

"Honestly, same. Being an intern, you really don't do much other than observe and assist. Especially when it's your first time." Lance laughed to himself, standing and stretching before meeting Keith's side, "Lord knows I don't do much during the day." Lance looked at Keith, winking playfully, "But at night? When I have to work the Emergency Ward? That's when things get really interesting."

Keith laughed, "I can imagine. You work here day and night?"

"There's a reason they call our training residency, Keith." Lance leaning on the counter, "We become literal residents of the hospital. No matter how much you want to, you never know when you're going to leave. They give us cots to sleep on, but that's only during slow nights. You improvise everything else."

Keith opened his mouth to say something, but was interrupted by an all too familiar voice that intruded on their conversation. Lance turned upon hearing the same voice. His eyes lit up when he saw who it had been.

"Alright, Keith. You finished around here?"

Shiro and Allura came to a stop at when they reached Lance and Keith. Allura had her hands in her pockets with a slight grin on her face. Keith uncrossed his arms when he locked eyes with Shiro, who seemed a little out of breath from having strode all the way over.

"There you are." Keith placed his hands on his hips, "You took quite a while. Where were you?" 

"A little something popped up in the Thoracic Ward." Allura sighed, Shiro rubbing the back of his neck and laughing to himself, "We had some unexpected technical difficulties during an operation that we needed to help out with."

"We would have been up here sooner, but we got all tangled up in that mess." Shiro nodded, an apologetic look coming to his face, "Sorry. Hope the two of you didn't die of boredom while we were gone."

"Nah," Keith shook his head in response, "I was just chatting a bit with Lance."

"Well, I'm glad you two are beginning to get to know each other." Allura smiled at the two of them, "You may end up working together in the future, so it's a good thing you're trying to warm up so early."

"That'll be useful later." Shiro grinned, lightly blowing the tuft of hair from his face, "Believe me. I know. The only reason I was able to get through all the years of residency I did was because of my connections around the hospital."

"Alright, mister high and mighty." Allura playfully taunted him, placing her hands on her hips, "We all know that you've got a ton of medical knowledge under that belt of yours, and we all know you're the best. There's no need to rub it in."

Shiro let out a laugh. Lance sat in the swivel chair right beside Keith. Keith felt a slight grin come to his face when he heard Shiro's rather contagious laughter. 

"It's both a blessing and a curse, m'lady." He playfully bowed, taking one of her hands in hers and proceeding to kiss it teasingly.

Allura laughed while Keith rolled his eyes at his brother. Lance let out a lighthearted boo, swatting the two of them aside from where he spun himself back and forth in the chair. 

"Ew, why don't you two get a room?" He asked, scrunching up his nose in a comical sneer.

Shiro let out a lighthearted scoff before looking down at his watch to see what time it was. His Pulmonary Lobectomy was scheduled very soon, and he was vital part of the operation. He looked up from the watch after a few moments. He locked eyes with Keith.

"Alright, kid. That Pulmonary Lobectomy is in a little while. I gotta head on over as soon as I can." He said, sticking his hands in his coat pockets once more.

"Is it on Mrs. Mira?" Allura looked up, "You're her doctor?"

"For the moment, anyway." Shiro shrugged, "She just recently transferred over her earlier this week and she's got a pretty nasty case of pneumonia."

"Ouch." Lance sucked in some air through his teeth, wincing sympathetically, "Yikes."

"My thoughts exactly." Shiro turned from Lance back to Keith, "So we gotta head out. Don't worry though. We'll catch up with you two later on, I'll bet." 

Keith gave a slight nod before stepping forward. Lance stuffed his hands in his pockets. Allura looked from Keith to Lance, and then back to Shiro. She placed her hands on her hips, a few thoughts running through her head.

"Actually..." She interrupted them, "Didn't you say that Keith was going to help with the night shift in the Emergency ward tonight?"

Shiro paused and looked back at her. He already had a feeling that he knew where she was taking this. It was the same opener he had during his first year of residency, and from what he could tell, she hadn't forgotten a bit of it.

"Yes." Shiro nodded simply. Keith met his side. Lance leaned against the wall, listening in on the conversation.

"Well, why don't you have him come with me and Lance?" Allura exchanged glances with Lance, "I was planning on taking Lance into the Emergency room to get a little more rigorous with his training. He's been stuck in this ICU ward all day, so I think it would be a good idea to get him somewhere else. General Surgery, right?"

Shiro let out a light chuckle. He leaned back, putting his hands on his hips. He remembered how tough his first day in the emergency room was. He had never stopped moving, and even now it was the same. When he hadn't been trotting up and down halls answering to the nurses paging him, he would either be downing another cup of coffee or getting what sleep he managed. He never was able to sleep any longer than an hour at a time. The longest he recorded was an hour and a half on a good day.

"That's right." He felt his lips curl into a slight grin. He crossed his arms.

"Well, how about you let him come with me?" She smiled as the words escaped her lips, "You've been going very easy on him. And I know he's your brother, but he's not in medical school anymore. He needs to get his hands dirty. He needs to get a feel for the stick. What do you say?"

"Well, I can't speak for him." Shiro tilted his head in Keith's direction, his grin never faltering. He looked at Keith, raising an eyebrow, "What say you, little brother? You think you up to the challenge?"

It didn't take Keith very long to give his answer. As soon as he had heard the offer, he'd been itching to step forward and ditch the observation to get a look at emergency care. That was why he was there. Not to watch his brother do the work while he stood on the side lines. He nodded a little more quickly than he'd meant to. Allura let out a light laugh.

"Come on, then." She turned, gesturing for him to follow, "We can't waste time."

Keith looked back at Shiro one more time. Shiro tilted his head, wordlessly urging Keith to go on ahead. Allura was right. He was being a little soft on Keith for the time being, but he couldn't help himself. Keith was his brother. Shiro patted Keith on the back as a gesture of good luck before striding quickly down the hall to his scheduled operation. He turned again and Lance locked eyes with him once more. He and Keith walked in the other direction after Allura, who was already halfway down the hall.

?You sure you know what you're getting yourself into?" Lance chuckled, his voice a whisper.

Keith let out an exhale, trying to calm his nerves. This is what he'd been studying for. This is what he had spent the last 8 years of his life preparing for this moment. And he still wasn't done. He looked straight ahead, seeing Allura already pushing the elevator button that would take them down to the emergency department.

"Nope." He shook his head, hearing Lance bite back a laugh beside him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Emergency Room was bustling as the three of them reached the floor. Keith and Lance followed Allura down the corridor lined with patients and medical personnel on either side. Doctors chattered as they examined scans and tests, while nurses and receptionists quickly answered phone calls and paged other Doctors and Surgeons. There was hardly any room or time to breathe, and Keith got that message just by watching the professionals at work.

Alright, Keith. Take a look around you." Allura turned once they reached the lockers, "Starting tonight, or today if you're feeling lucky, you will be considered a true resident to this hospital. Not that you were previously, but you'll actually be getting you're hands dirty in some rich training exercises , if you'd like to call them that."

Lance tilted his head, his full attention turned to his mentor. Keith did the same, trying to ignore the noises and distraction of what was happening around him. Allura grinned slightly, reaching into her pocket.

"You see this?" She lifted a small device from within the fabric, running her thumb over the small screen and the buttons on it, "This is a pager. You will receive one by the end of the day, and these little beauties will become your new best friend. You must have them on you at all times. At home, at the store, and at the hospital."

Allura walked into the locker room, not waiting to see if Keith had any questions. Lance didn't seem bothered by this fact, mostly because he had probably seen it all before, but once they reached the Emergency Room, Allura seemed to have become a totally different person. She was nice in the NICU and in the pediatric ward. Keith could understand by Shiro was so infatuated by her. But down here, she took charge and didn't wait for any signals.

"Keith, I trust that you understand what a pager is and what it is used for. I am highly aware of your brother's many late nights and early morning call ins." Allura looked back at him briefly, blowing a loose strand of hair out of her face, "Pagers are basically reminders that you can't sit on your butt for long. If you take a look at the wards around the hospital, you will notice that doctors do not run them. Nurses do. Nurses will look after your patient for the most part, because more often than not, you will be busting your butt on surgery or lessons. That being said, Nurses can and will page you, and you must answer each and every one of those pages. It's best if you do so at a run."

Allura finally stopped at one of the lockers, Keith and Lance nearly skidding to a stop behind her. Allura turned, motioning to one of the metal doors with a single latch on the side. She locked eyes with Keith and rested her hand on the door. 

"Your shift officially begins as soon as you begin your first case. It will last 48 hours, and in that time you are expected to be ready for anything at all costs." She said.  
Allura turned to the locker, lifting the latch with ease. She swung the metal open wide enough for Keith to look in.

"All of your belongings will be stored in this very box." Allura stated, Keith trying to keep up with all the information he'd been receiving, "And once they come in, they do not come out unless you are on break."

Allura pointed to one side, where several other men and women in white coats conversed about cases. A few examined schedules and patients. Others got themselves ready for whatever the day had in store for them.

"That side is reserved for the Surgeons and Professionals. Interns are to stay on this side."

Lance had begun to rummage through his own locker, refolding a brown and orange jacket that he had stored previously that morning. Allura closed the locker door and pointed to another set of doors down yet another hall. Lance lay the garment into his locker again and shut the door, trotting to follow his mentor. Keith didn't look back at him. He was too busy trying to keep up with Allura.

"These are on-call rooms." Allura opened one of the doors to a dark room, "And they're just what you think they are. When you're on-call, you sleep here. Sleep when you can, and where you can, but don't hope to get too far. Last night, I got a total of 5 hours, and that's a record for me. Most of us professionals only get 4. You interns? Probably 2 or 3. We all run on coffee and energy drinks here. But only in moderation."

Allura turned on the light, illuminating the darkness. A neatly made bunk bed sat on one side of the room and a pull-out couch sat on the other. It was very simple and empty, save for those two pieces of furniture. She allowed for him to set in to get a look for a few moments before forging onward to the next section of the ER. She brushed past another doctor, who seemed to be in a rush. They locked eyes for a brief moment and she grinned. He returned the favor before passing them all.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

After a few more explanations of rules and regulations regarding certain sections and wards, Allura finally found her stopping point. She leaned onto the reception desk, looking back at Lance and Keith, who had managed to somehow keep up with her throughout the entire tour. Lance had already known most of what she had explained, but was obligated to stay with his mentor for the day. 

"Uh oh, you gave another one of your tours of the ER?" Allura heard the mustached man seated behind the counter laugh to herself.

"Of course." Allura breathlessly responded, crossing her arms and exhaling, "The new intern came in today, and Shiro was being too easy on him. So I decided to take over for him."

He laughed and shook his head, typing quickly onto a computer, writing an order into the system. 

"You act just like your father." He said, half to himself and half to her.

Keith and Lance met up with the two of them. Keith had to smooth out his scrubs while Lance tried to catch his breath. He hated the tours Allura gave because she would not stop for anyone. Not even him. Keith let out a slight breath, trying to remain as calm as he possibly could. Allura placed her hands on her hips, locking eyes with the breathless intern.

"Alright, Keith. You think you ready for what this hospital has to offer?" She asked, pursing her lips playfully, "You got to see the good and bad side of me today. Give me a satisfactory performance for the next two days, and I just might let you go home for a little while. Think you can handle it?"

"Excuse me?" Keith laughed, catching onto her playful vibes, "I thought Shiro was my mentor?"

"He's your brother." Allura rolled her eyes teasingly, "We try to avoid putting friends and family together because they can be a bit distracting. Shiro's got the executives wrapped around his finger, though... so they managed a single exception for him. I can take care of that, though."

Keith rolled his eyes, his lips curling into a slight smirk. The young man Allura had spoken with before looked away from his computer screen, locking eyes with Keith. He stood up, shifting his long, white coat that covered his orange scrubs. He skirted around the edge of the reception desk and neared Keith, holding out his hand.

"So, you're the new intern?" He greeted him politely, "It's very nice to meet you. I'm Coran Hieronymus Wimbleton Smythe, but you can just call me Coran. I'm a radiologist and a surgeon, so we just might work together in the future."

"Hello." Keith shook his hand firmly, "I'm Keith Kogane. Studying to be a General Surgeon. Today is...my first day."

Keith mentally slapped himself as soon as his redundance had occurred to him. He was never very good at introducing himself to other people. He was infamous for being socially awkward, and this was a big reason Shiro would pick on him all the times he did. Coran chuckled, shaking his hand.

"It's very nice to meet you." He replied, "Welcome to The Garrison."

Keith nodded slowly, watching Coran turn his back to him. He sat back down in front of the computer, his fingers hovering over the keyboard as he considered what else he had to order for a patient. Allura pulled out a drawer and reached in, grabbing a small device from inside. She tossed it to Keith, only for him to catch it rather clumsily. Lance laughed at his awkwardness.

"Alright, Keith. This is your pager." Allura placed her hands on her hips, "As soon as Dr. Coran successfully enters you into the system, the nurses will be aware that you are on the market for cases. Always have this thing on you. Some of us hook it to our scrubs, others have it in pockets or purses. Put it anywhere, just as long as you've got it."

"And done!" Coran looked away from the screen, "Mr. Keith, you're all good to go!"

Keith placed the pager in his scrub pocket. He felt chills as soon as he felt the light weight as it pulled down on the pouch. At any moment, that thing could start beeping, and Keith would have to make it back to the Emergency Room as quickly as he could. His job was simple. Hear the signal, get to your patient, fix or contain their problem, and get out. Even if it was that simple, however, the anxiety he felt was still present.

Coran noticed his stunned silence and couldn't help but smile, amused.

"Now, I know all of this can be pretty overwhelming on your first day, but you've trained for this. The Garrison is one of the most prestigious hospitals in the world, and you've somehow made it this far." He leaned to the side to look around the computer to Keith him, "Major kudos to you, young man. We were all once in your position, so don't get too worked up on your first day. Soon, you'll learn to get into the swing of things."

Allura nodded in agreement to what Coran had said. Keith looked between the two of them, having noticed some sort of relationship between the colleagues. Allura seemed to have an underlying respect for him that she did not show to many other doctors or specialists. It was like the relationship you would expect between a little girl and her uncle. She looked up to him, even if she didn't act like or say it outright.

After a moment, Allura decided to break the silence.

"You've been accepted into this hospital, Keith." She firmly stated, "And despite your role as intern, we expect for you to keep up with the professionals. Ask for help, Load the boat, stay on your feet, talk to the nurses..."

Her voice trailed off as her beeper began to go off in her pocket. She pulled it out, scanning the words that were displayed across the screen before turning. 

"...Cue in for Blaytz..." She murmured to herself before turning to them and lifting her voice again, "...And when you hear that sound, get moving." 

She began to walk quickly down the hall, motioning for Lance and Keith to follow her. The two of them complied obediently, knowing not to test her patience. They turned several corners, skirting around other specialists and nearly colliding with several. Lance nearly tripped once, causing a laugh to escape Keith's lips. He stifled it, however when he reached the room.

A man lay still in his bed, his eyebrows furrowing slightly in discomfort. He had a nasal cannula on his face, wrapped around his head and propped on his ears. A nurse was already tending to what she could, seeing to his readings on the rather  machine beside his bed. A companion of his held his hand tightly, looking rather panicked when the doctors had arrived. 

Allura was already scanning the clipboard the foot of the patient's bed. Keith met the nurse's side while Lance went to Allura's, reading his papers over her shoulder.

"What's happening?" Allura asked, flipping through the clipboard.

"Blaytz has junkie veins, and his blood pressure is 80 over 55." The nurse turned, walking her way, moving quickly, "He has been feeling very nauseated and disoriented since his last scan, which we will not get the results for until tomorrow night."

"Is he on any drugs or medications?" Keith took the patient's pulse, listening closely to the nurse.

"I administered a dose of morpheme to help with the discomfort a half an hour ago. That didn't seem to help, however." The nurse looked back at him, "And he is not on any drugs, but his father was and still is."

Allura let out a sigh, placing the clipboard back down where she found it. She turned to Keith, who seemed to know what he had been doing.

"Alright, Keith. What do we do?" She asked.

"He needs antibiotics." He looked up, having found a pulse, "We need to start a central line."

"Good boy." Allura nodded, turning to the nurse, "You heard him. Get on it before he has more complications."

The nurse nodded and did as she was told. She put on a pair of gloves, slipping the medications needed into his tube. His readings began to stable themselves out. Allura walked up to the man who had been sitting beside the bed. She rested her hand on his tense shoulder.

"Hey, he's going to be okay." She said gently, smiling at him when he turned to lock eyes with her, "Just wait a few minutes and he should be back to normal."

The man nodded his head. His eyes still showed his underlying fear, but also displayed a light tone of gratitude.

"Just call the nurses if he has any more problems, okay?" She tapped his shoulder lightly, "We'll take good care of him."

He nodded a second time before Allura finally turned and began to exit the room. Lance and Keith followed behind her like a pair of students following a teacher to the cafeteria for lunch. As they did this, Keith could hear the patient finally speak to his companion once they were no longer surrounded by specialists.

"I told you I would be okay." His voice reached his ears, groggy yet playful. He teased his partner, "You care too much for me."

"And your problem is that you don't care at all." was the only response Keith could make out from his companion, "We have a wedding in a month and I don't want to have to get married in the small hospital chapel."

Blaytz let out a breathy laugh. 


End file.
